By Peggy Senzarino, Mason City Globe Gazette

MASON CITY — A Mason City family is grieving the loss of a son after a Monday morning shooting at a Minneapolis area gas station.

Kelly L. Phillips, 48, Minneapolis, the son of Jim and Judy Phillips of Mason City, was killed in the parking lot of a Holiday gas station as he stood near a vehicle about 8:40 a.m. Monday.

Authorities in Arden Hills are searching for a suspect in the case: Lyle “Ty” Hoffman, 44.

About a dozen squad cars were gathered at the airport, which for a time was cordoned off with police tape.

Pat Harker, who works at the airport, said an Anoka County Sheriff’s Office helicopter hovered low for a time in what appeared to be a search of a nearby wooded area. Officers were at the airport for about three hours and searched two hangars.

Hoffman and Phillips opened Lush Food Bar, a bar and nightclub in northeast Minneapolis five years ago, according to the Star Tribune. The newspaper reports the men also had a personal relationship.

Hoffman is a commercial real estate developer, according to the newspaper.

Police are asking anyone who may have information about Hoffman’s whereabouts to call 651-266-7320.

The newspaper reports Phillips had Hoffman evicted earlier this year from a residence Phillips owned in northeast Minneapolis. It was about the same time their mutual interest in Lush dissolved. Hoffman stepped away from the business.

Kelly was to be married in about two and a half weeks to Nathon Bailey, said his father, Jim Phillips. The Star Tribune reported Bailey was booked into the Ramsey County Jail on Monday afternoon but was released early Tuesday.

Authorities executed a search warrant at the Minneapolis home the men shared. A few hours later authorities named Hoffman as the suspect in the shooting death.

A witness told the Star Tribune that Phillips and another man pulled up in a BMW and parked next to the gas station Monday morning. The witness reported hearing yelling in the car. He said the men got out of the car and the driver shot Phillips three times.

Jim Phillips said the family was notified by police about Kelly’s death Monday afternoon.

In an interview with the Globe Gazette on Tuesday, Jim Phillips described his son, one of the couple’s five children, as a very hard worker.

“He would always have two or three jobs going at the same time in addition to everything else he was involved with. He was just a hard worker and very caring person. He really enjoyed other people and cared about other people,” Phillips said.

Kelly Phillips was a graduate of Newman Catholic High School, University of Northern Iowa and the University of Iowa Law School where he was the valedictorian of his graduating class, his father said.

He worked as head legal counsel for the Guidant division of Boston Scientific and traveled the world, Jim Phillips said. Boston Scientific is a leading medical device company with offices located about two miles from the crime scene.

The company issued a statement about Phillips’ death, saying, “We are devastated by yesterday’s unexpected death of our dear friend and colleague, Kelly Phillips. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

“Kelly will be remembered not only for his great skills as a lawyer, but also for kindness, gentleness and ability to make those around him feel better about themselves. He will be sorely missed by his many friends here at Boston Scientific.”

His father agreed.

“That was Kelly. He made other people feel better and he genuinely cared about other people.”

When he wasn’t working, Kelly like to travel, according to his father.

“Of course, with his job he does a lot of traveling. But he liked getting a vacation and just getting away and relaxing,” Phillips said.

Phillips said he knew Hoffman, the suspect, but did not comment about any personal relationship between the two men.

He said he and his wife, Judy, were blessed with five great kids.

“In our eyes, we have been more than fortunate and lucky with our children. We are very proud of all our kids.”

Funeral arrangements for Kelly Phillips are incomplete at Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, Mason City.